If you bought an iPhone 5 between September 2012 and January 2013 you may be entitled to a free replacement battery, after Apple confirmed that some of these devices were sold with defective batteries.
In a statement, the company said that a “ very small percentage of iPhone 5 devices may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently”. It added that the affected iPhone 5 devices were sold between September 2012 and January 2013 and fall within a limited serial number range.
If the battery life of your iPhone 5 is less than adequate, and the device is otherwise in good working order, you can check to see if you qualify for a replacement battery here by inputting the serial number of your phone.
If you’re not sure what your serial number is, go to the settings app on your phone. Go to the “general” tab, then click “about” and scroll down to see your serial number.
The tech giant has already started offering customers in the US and China free replacement batteries, and will begin replacing the part for Irish customers this Friday, August 29th.
If you qualify, you can get your new battery through an Apple authorised service provider, an Apple store, or through Apple technical support. Customers choosing to replace the battery are being urged to back up their data beforehand.
If your battery is one of the defective ones, and you already paid to replace it, you can contact Apple to apply for a refund.
Next month Apple is expected to unveil its eagerly awaited iPhone 6 at an event in New York on September 9th, with the phone going on sale from mid-September.
